


A Christmas Wish

by EllenMarieP



Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [3]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27760516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenMarieP/pseuds/EllenMarieP
Summary: 3: Christmas Wish - Character A overhears character B make a Christmas wish and decides to make it come true.Thomas deserves his Christmas wish.
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis
Series: Thomas Barrow Christmas Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030419
Comments: 10
Kudos: 51
Collections: A Very Thomas Barrow Christmas 2020





	A Christmas Wish

**A Christmas Wish**

Three weeks till Christmas

The run-up to Christmas was always stressful at Downton. Putting up the tree in the entrance hall was likened to a military operation with all hands on deck not just to get the tree into position but to place every bauble, every light and the decades-old angel treated like the icing on a decadent wedding cake. Every windowsill and bannister had its own decorations to be placed just so, every fireplace had stockings to be filled and every person had stress to be handled but none more so than the butler whose job it was to see that Christmas for the Crawley’s was as perfect as can be.

Thomas Barrow did not think he could handle much more stress and there was still another three weeks until Christmas Day. On that morning alone he’d had to deal with the dog stealing the stockings out of the library, the decorations for the main stairs still hadn’t shown up and the children had accidentally broken Lady Mary’s favourite bauble while playing in the hall. Of course, said Lady then expected Thomas to find an exact replica of the broken bauble and that very day no less, not considering that it had been in the house since she was a child and no longer existed in shops no matter how many catalogues he searched through.

As he placed down the final catalogue and surrendered to failure, it was after midnight after all and a headache had been building throughout the afternoon, the phone on his desk rang, sudden and shrill in the silence of his office.

‘ _Who on earth is calling at this time?’_ he thought to himself while reaching out to pick up the receiver.

**“Hello, Downton Abbey, Thomas Bar…Richard?”**

Unbeknownst to Thomas, Lady Mary was currently making her way downstairs with orders from her mother to apologise before she went to bed for making unreasonable requests, especially at such a busy time for the staff. One could almost say she was sulking, how was she to know that the bauble was no longer sold anywhere?

It had only been five minutes in her mind since she was made to apologise to Barrow for ousting him from his job during the royal visit and now she was doing it again. How many other families apologised to their butler’s on a regular basis? It’s not like he didn’t enjoy the time off if the household gossip was to be believed.

As she arrived at Barrow’s office and raised her hand to know she heard muted voices and paused, checking the hallway was empty before moving her head closer to the door to listen.

**“I don’t know why she’s so bothered about a bauble but she is and now I have to tell her I can’t find a replacement anywhere while also tryin to make the** **stockings look like they haven’t been chewed by a Labrador and finding the box for the bloomin bannisters!... I know, I know, goodwill to all men. I just wish** **someone had some to spare for me. I wish you were here…don't be daft….course I would!...in a heartbeat….alright…good night and Richard?...Thank you, for** **listening to me.”**

Mary stepped back from the door, suddenly feeling an odd mix of guilt and appreciation. Here she was fussing over a bauble while she had her loving family around her and Barrow couldn’t even be with the one he loved even for a day and certainly not in the open.

A plan starts to form in her mind and Lady Mary Crawley decides that she can do better than an apology as she resolves to speak with Mrs Hughes in the morning to put her plan into action.

Christmas Day

The Christmas celebrations are in full swing as Thomas makes his way downstairs to commence the servants' dinner before they all have a free evening of fun and games. He’s done his best to join in with the cheer through the day and not let anyone see that he’s not really in the Christmas spirit, he never has been really as he’s yet to have a Christmas full of genuine love and cheer. It did make him smile to see the children enjoying their presents with the rest of the family during tea, he just wished he had someone of his own here to share it with.

As he reaches the servants' hall he’s stopped by Mrs Hughes before he can enter.

**“Mr Barrow, there’s someone in your office here to see you.”**

He looks at her blankly, silently requesting more information but all he receives is a smile and a nod towards his office. With a confused frown, it’s not like Mrs Hughes to be mysterious, he changes course and enters his office only for his jaw to drop as he loses the ability to breathe.

**“Hello”**

**“Richard? Wh…How?”**

Richard Ellis laughs and gets up from his seat by the desk, a warm smile stays on his face as he steps up to stand in front of Thomas, looking him straight in the eye like he was looking through to his soul.

**“Apparently, your Lady Mary heard you make a wish and decided to make that wish come true. Has she? Has she made your wish come true?”**

Thomas barely takes the time to breathe out an almost silent, **‘yes’** , before pulling Richard into a desperate kiss which is returned with equal enthusiasm. Both men seem determined to pour all of their affection and love that has been building over months of (not so) secret letters and stolen phone calls into this one moment which almost feels as though it could last forever.

Eventually, they pull away and stand with their forehead pressed together, hands gently caressing each other’s cheeks.

**“Merry Christmas Mr Barrow.”**

**“Merry Christmas Mr Ellis.”**

**Author's Note:**

> Italics= Thoughts  
> Bold= Speech


End file.
